You are not alone in feeling this way. This is not a sign of weakness. This doesn’t mean that you are less of a worker than your colleagues. All this means is that your brain and body is telling you that you need to manage your stress more.

What can I do about this?

Firstly, when you are feeling this way, try and do simple breathing exercises. You can place one hand on your chest and abdomen and then breathe deeply through your nose whilst keeping your mouth closed. You should feel your abdomen rising more than your chest. You can do this for a few minutes.

Secondly, you can do simple grounding exercises. This uses your sensory faculties and allows you to divert your focus. You can use your sense of sight and count various objects in your environment for a minute. You can use your sense of hearing and identify all the sounds that you hear for a minute. You can use your sense of touch and rub an item between your fingers identifying what this feels like for a minute.

Thirdly, ensure that you remain well hydrated and nourished through the work day.

Fourthly, speak to colleagues about the way you feel and you will find that they also feel this way too.

These are troubled times

The world is in crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Health Care Worker you are at the front of line leading the fight.

Not an ideal situation

The lack of Personal Protective Equipment is a problem every Health Care System is managing with. You are expected to function optimally despite this. Your employer is making every reasonable effort to overcome this issue.

You have the Power

As a Health Care Worker you are best equipped to go into battle. You have been preparing all your career to deal with such situations. You are making a difference in this fight and will continue to do so.